[Birdtalk] Crappy Photos

[B.G. Sloan]

Jim,
 
The eye color seems wrong for a Merlin.
 
You said: "This bird has a yellow eye." 
 
My experience observing Merlins this winter is that they have dark eyes.
 
Bernie Sloan

--- On Sat, 2/28/09, Jim Lofthouse <jbloft at wildblue.net> wrote:

From: Jim Lofthouse <jbloft at wildblue.net>
Subject: Re: [Birdtalk] Crappy Photos
To: "Craig Fosdick" <craig.fosdick at gmail.com>, "Bird Talk" <birdtalk at utahbirds.org>
Date: Saturday, February 28, 2009, 5:07 PM





This bird is definitely not an adult Sharpie.  The breast pattern is wrong, the eye is wrong, Adult cooper does not have a line above the eye.  Adult shaerpie has a definite barred breast and belly.  This bird is streaked on the breast and barred on the flanks. Adult sharpie has a red eye.  This bird has a yellow eye. 
 
Coopers is not even an option. Too small. 
 
It could possibly be an immature sharpie, but the back coloration is wrong.  Sibley shows the back colroration to be brown on the immature sharpie.  This bird is definitlely gray on the back.   The coloration of the underwing coverts is also a clue.  I think this bird looks more like the pic of the Merlin on page 130 Sibley's, than the picture of the juvie sharpie on page 112 Sibley's.  
 
Do you have Sibleys book?  Page 130 the adult prarie type female:  streaked breast, barred flanks, line over the eye, very definite black tipped bill, and in flight rufous coloration on under wing coverts.  Absence of weak mustache.  
 
I think this bird fits that very well.  Any other opinions?
 
Jim
 
 
http://donce.lofthouse.com/jamaica/Zion/zion.htm

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Craig Fosdick 
To: Jim Lofthouse 
Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2009 11:31 AM
Subject: Re: [Birdtalk] Crappy Photos


Jim-
 
Your bird is either a Sharp-shinned Hawk or possibly a Cooper's Hawk. Sorry, but it's not a Merlin.
 
Craig.


On Sat, Feb 28, 2009 at 11:03 AM, Jim Lofthouse <jbloft at wildblue.net> wrote:



When some rare bird comes to visit, I am likely to grab the camera and take some pictures, in spite of dirty rain streaked windows, poor light and the wrong lens on the camera.   These photos leave much to be desired, but perhaps they serve to document the event, and hopefully capture enough detail to show the field marks of the species.  
 
FWIW  http://donce.lofthouse.com/jamaica/merlin.jpg
 
           http://donce.lofthouse.com/jamaica/merlin2.jpg
 
Jim
 
 
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